Auld Lang Syne
by EvilFuzzy9
Summary: All good things must come to an end. [post-epilogue, public domain songfic]


**Auld Lang Syne**

A _Naruto_ oneshot

By

EvilFuzzy9

* * *

Rating: T

Genre: Friendship/Family

Characters/Pairings: EVERYONE (not really); [ALL OF THEM, i.e.: _mostly_ canon pairings based on chap 700]

Summary: All good things must come to an end. [post-epilogue, public domain songfic]

* * *

_Should auld acquaintance be forgot, _  
_And never brought to mind?_  
_Should auld acquaintance be forgot, _  
_And auld lang syne?_

Naruto Uzumaki kissed his wife first thing in the morning, smelling the scent of breakfast cooking. His grin was broad and warm as he broke the nightly fast, complimenting her cooking as he usually did.

Hinata kissed him back before setting the table, joining her husband in a light breakfast.

The Uzumaki children, Bolt and Himawari, came tromping into the dining room, woken up by the smell of their mom's cooking. They beamed at their parents, giving a cheery _"Itadakimasu!"_ before digging into their food.

Hinata giggled. The table was noisy and lively, the two kids chattering away as they ate.

Naruto grinned even wider, his chest swelling with pride.

Finishing his meal, he gave Himawari a kiss on the forehead, and ruffled Bolt's hair, before gathering up his things and heading off to work.

_For auld lang syne, my jo, _  
_For auld lang syne,_  
_We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, _  
_For auld lang syne._

Sakura ate with her daughter, Sarada, a simple repast of rice and miso. They were quiet as they ate, the atmosphere at their table one of serene contemplation.

It was not an awkward or uncomfortable silence. They ate quietly simply because they appreciated these rare moments of shared tranquility, happy enough to break fast in one another's presence.

Sarada emptied her bowl, setting her chopsticks down. Saying a quiet thanks to her mother, again, for the meal, she then gathered up her dishes and brought them to the sink.

Sakura smiled, contented, watching her daughter rinse out the dishes. She thought of Sasuke, and felt a warmth in her chest.

This was truly their daughter.

_And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!_  
_And surely I'll be mine!_  
_And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,_  
_For auld lang syne._

Kiba scratched behind Akamaru's ears, the old hound laying a weary head on his master's lap. He sat on the porch beside his woman, Tamaki, who leaned a slender frame warmly against him.

Pups and kittens wrestled in the grass, tumbling about in play. The older ones were more reserved, bathing in the sunlight or sleepily grooming themselves.

A particularly fat and elderly cat was curled up on Tamaki's lap, sleeping peacefully.

Man and woman, cats and dogs. They lazed about in the morning sun, snuggling together and enjoying the peace.

_For auld lang syne, my jo, _  
_For auld lang syne,_  
_We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, _  
_For auld lang syne._

Shino Aburame looked over his lesson plans one last time, shuffling through the papers which detailed everything he would be teaching his students today.

His expression was unreadable as he reviewed the papers.

He thought of the wisdom and experience he would strive to impart upon his students, to enrich them in heart and mind. He thought of all the hard-learned lessons he would pass on to them.

He thought of their smiling faces as they filed into the classroom for another day of learning.

Shino smiled infinitesimally.

_We twa hae run about the braes,_  
_And pu'd the gowans fine;_  
_But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,_  
_Sin auld lang syne._

Inojin Yamanaka bowed respectfully to his father, and Sai returned the gesture with an everpresent smile on his lips. The two took a sparring stance, armed with blunted training swords.

Ino watched proudly as the two dearest men in her life trained together. She was in a pose of meditation, flexing her mental energies.

Sai corrected the flaws in Inojin's form, shifting an arm here, or a leg there. He walked his son through basic kata, sharply critiquing the boy when he made a mistake, and warmly praising him when he did well.

Inojin improved steadily, adapting and learning with commendable aptitude. Ino smiled at her and Sai's son.

The future of the Yamanaka family was bright.

_For auld lang syne, my jo, _  
_For auld lang syne,_  
_We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, _  
_For auld lang syne._

Shikamaru Nara stared across the shogi board, looking at his son. Shikadai was deep in thought, brow furrowed with concentration as he analyzed the pieces and their positions.

The boy's father felt a pang of something in his chest as Shikadai tentatively moved one of his pawns forward. He saw so much of himself in the boy – and his father, by extension – but he also saw Temari.

Green, piercing eyes flicked over the board one last time, before the boy removed his fingers from the pawn.

Shikamaru moved up one of his knights, capturing the piece.

Just one more move until he had the king in mate.

_We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn,_  
_Frae morning sun till dine;_  
_But seas between us braid hae roar'd_  
_Sin auld lang syne._

Chouchou Akimichi munched happily on sweets, sitting between her father and her mother. They ate and talked, laughing on the open veranda.

Karui was smiling contentedly, watching the sunrise over Konoha as she ate a slice of buttered toast. She thought nostalgically of Kumo, and her friends back in the Hidden Cloud.

Then she looked down at her daughter, and up over at her husband.

Chouji ate a large and hearty meal, occasionally passing a sasauge or an egg to his daughter's plate. Karui smiled, and ate her light breakfast.

Her sword may as well have been rusting in its scabbard.

_For auld lang syne, my jo, _  
_For auld lang syne,_  
_We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, _  
_For auld lang syne._

Tenten took a hearty draught from her flask, standing over a grave in the memorial cemetary. Sunflowers lay across the tombstone, the name of _Neji Hyuuga _carved into smoothly polished granite.

Rock Lee stood beside his comrade, holding her hand in unaccustomed silence. His expression was one of quiet contemplation, gazing at the name on the stone.

They stood in silence, thinking of all the old times past they had shared with their friend, and all the new times to come they would never be able to share with him.

Tenten leaned against Lee's frame, a sad smile on her face. He wrapped his arm around her, a comforting presence in this time of reflection.

They stood fast together, as friends ever do.

_And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!_  
_And gie's a hand o' thine!_  
_And we'll tak a right gude-willy waught,_  
_For auld lang syne._

Iruka and Konohamaru ate at Ichiraku, talking about nothing in particular. Udon and Moegi hurried past the stall, urgent forms in hand.

Anko and Ibiki walked and conversed, sharing amusing anecdotes and catching up on each other's doings. Kurenai and Shizune chatted and gossiped, cheerfully talking.

All throughout the village, people went about their business.

All throughout the village, people were happy.

_For auld lang syne, my jo, _  
_For auld lang syne,_  
_We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, _  
_For auld lang syne._

Might Guy and Kakashi drank together, reminiscing about days that had passed them by, their time belonging now to the past. They sipped a heady liquor, one in a wheelchair, and shared such talk as only old friends could share.

Their words were wistful, and their eyes saw a world which no longer lived in the present. With rosy cheeks, they sang and joked, cajoling and raconteuring with a bittersweet sentimentality.

A couple of old soldiers sat on the cusp of a new era, one which did not belong to them. They were relics of the past, with every year becoming further removed from the waking world of the young.

And they were fine with that, for the future ahead was bright, and they both knew that they had done their part already.

They had shaped the ones who would shape this age.

_Should auld acquaintance be forgot, _  
_And never brought to mind?_  
_Should auld acquaintance be forgot, _  
_And auld lang syne?_

* * *

A/N: A long and winding road comes to its end. Many years of blood and tears and sweat lie behind us.

Tales begin, tales end.

The legend of Naruto Uzumaki has reached its conclusion. He stands at the head of his village, seventh shadow of the secret fire. His dreams are reality, and he watches proudly over the land he has given so much of himself to protect.

Naruto's story is over, but countless others are just beginning. That is the right and natural way of things. Old growth is cleared away to let new saplings spring up.

_"When the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and once again, tree leaves shall bud anew."_

We will always have our memories.

(First snowfall of the winter, up here.)

**Updated:** 11-10-14

**TTFN and R&amp;R!**

– — ❤

**P.S.: **Yes, this is a song fic. FFN does not explicitly ban songfics. It DOES prohibit, and I quote:

_"Copying from a previously published work (including musical lyrics) not in the public domain."_

Which covers most of your pop and your rap and your teeny-bopper hip hop.

But traditional songs based on 17th century Scottish poetry based on even _older_ traditional songs?

Yeah. That's about as public domain as you can get.


End file.
